Guangzhou's 600-year-old Chenghuang Temple (Town's God Temple), the saving of which has been a major concern of the public, will undergo thorough renovation before the Guangzhou Asian Games of next year.

    On Dec 3, the Restoration Project of the Guangzhou Chenghuang Temple was officially initiated. According to the authorities of the Yuexiu District Government, in order to welcome the 2010 Asian Games, the Temple will be restored to its old look and to the fullest extent within the current range of the land available.

    The Guangzhou Chenghuang Temple, built in 1370, the 3rd year of the Hongwu Period of the Ming Dynasty, was the largest Chenghuang Temple of its time in the Lingnan Region. It is seen as fully compatible to the Beijing Chenghuang Temple. It was listed as one of the Municipal Cultural Relics of Guangzhou in 1993.

    The temple, possessing the essence of the Lingnan architectural culture and Cantonese folk culture, has been a landmark of Guangzhou city in the dynasties of the Ming and Qing and was noted as one of the "Yangcheng Eight Scenic Spots" in Qing Dynasty.

    It was also learned that, while renovating the Nanyue King's Palace and the Chenghuang Temple, the Yuexiu District will also regulate and improve the environment of their surrounding areas and build an installation to be known as Zhongyou Plaza.

    At the right time, the Guangzhou Chenghuang Temple, the Nanyue King's Palace and the Wende Road Cultural Street will all be linked up to form a historical and cultural area to be known as Yuexiu District. This new district is to be a bright spot designed to showcase the historical, folk and religious cultural features of Guangzhou, making it a new historical and cultural name-card of Guangzhou for the Asian Games.